Padilla and The Attention Economy

Was the senator making a stand for accountability—or a spectacle for attention?

LOS ANGELES — What began as a routine press conference spiraled into chaos last Thursday when U.S. Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed by federal agents after approaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during her remarks.

The dramatic exchange, captured on video and now widely circulated online, has ignited debate over the l…